Quick stops in Lund and Heisenberg

From Malmö to Göteborg we made a couple of stops in Lund and Heisenberg. Unfortunately, they had to be extremely quick as there was major congestion on the motorway. We needed to be at our next destination by a certain time, so we lost a lot of time in traffic. So I only saw a snapshot of the beautiful little towns.

Lund is Sweden’s second-oldest city and was founded by the Danes in 1000 AD. The architecture of the city is just gorgeous, particularly the Lund Cathedral. Its university is also one of the oldest and also most prestigious in Sweden.

When we arrived Octavia was asleep, so I was the only one that got to take a little walk in the town. I was able to see the beautiful cathedral and look in a couple shop, before getting back on the road. I wish I could have stayed longer. There were some charming little cafes I would have loved to try and so many little speciality shops I would have loved to visit. It will definitely be somewhere I would like to revisit.

Lund University

The Lund Cathedral is Sweden’s most visited church. The church was built prior to 1085, but had an extensive renovation in the late 19 century. It is extremely stunning inside and there are many nods to its medieval past. Perhaps its most special feature is the Horologium mirabile Lundense.

This 15th-century astronomical clock was quite accurate and modern for its time. It was displayed in the cathedral from 1387 to 1837 and wasn’t bought out of storage until 1923. It can not only tell the time of day, the different phases of the moon and sunsets, but it can also predict the number of religious holidays and which days they would fall on. On the top of the clock, there are two knights on the horse back that mark the hours, Just under them, on the top board is the astronomical clock. Below that is the Madonna and Child and some more knights. The board below that is the calendar. In the middle of the calendar is Saint Lawrence, who is the patron saint of the cathedral. Beside him is the symbols of the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and the zodiac sights.

The clock is enormous and I was really in awe of it. I have never seen anything like it. I felt sorry that Marco wasn’t able to see it in person, so I tried to take some good photos to show him.

Our next quick stop was the coastal city of Heisenberg. It is one of Sweden’s oldest cities and because it is the closest point where Sweden and Denmark meet, it also has a ferocious history with the Danes. The impressive medieval castle ruins of Kärnan looms over the city and the cobblestone streets and old buildings also add to its charm.

We only were able to stop here for a quick bite to eat and a little look around the Stortorget (square) under Kärnan. Unfortunately, we didn’t have much time with our limited parking, but I did get to buy a couple of beautiful Swedish colouring books from a gorgeous bookshop in the square. This is where I bought Emelie Lidehäll Öberg’s Sagor Och Sägner and Maria Trolle’s Skymningstimman (still waiting to be reviewed).

For lunch, we found this lovely cafe, Backhaus Bakery & Cafe. They have an impressive array of bagels, bread, pastries and sweets. I was extremely hungry and Marco not so much. I just had to try one of their bagel sandwiches and Kanelbulle (cinnamon bun). How amazing does my bagel look! I just love the sweet Swedish prawns and the other ingredients really made it a king sandwich. The Kanelbulle was also really nice, so I could also ticket that off the list. I was also really impressed with their facilities for babies. They had a large changing room, with everything I needed and was probably one of the best ones I’d seen on my trip.

On the move again to our second last destination. Our next stop is Göteborg before we head to Belgium.